Winner Takes All
by MissDevon
Summary: When Brody demands that Natalie tells John the "truth' before he does, he doesn't realize the corner he's backing her into or that she'll come out swinging. John and Jessica might have to deal with the fallout, but they won't be alone. Jolie/Buch
1. Turn About

_**Turn About**_

**Playing Games**

She stared at the slamming door as her body shuttered with anger- no, not anger. Anger wasn't a strong enough word. Rage. Yes, that was what Natalie was feeling right now. Rage mixed with disappointment and resentment and… well, she wouldn't even go there.

Swiping back tears she straightened her back and threw back her red hair. So Brody wanted to play games, now did he, the voice in her head mocked, thinking of the gauntlet that he had thrown down, so like Marty. Well, she'd play. Only Brody didn't seem to realize that when Natalie Balsom played she didn't play fair.

Unlike her fair haired sister she had learned the hard way. Not only that, she had learned from her father and grandfather. Oh, she played the game well enough so that most thought that what she knew about being a Buchanan she had learned from her Uncle Bo that was how Asa and, now, her Dad had wanted it. She was the secret weapon in the Buchanan arsenal, and Brody and just unleashed it on himself.

Smirking slightly, she checked on Liam, then went into the bathroom, her plan of action already starting to take form.

It might not have been time for John to learn the truth when she was pregnant and tried to tell him, even though Brody had begged her not to for Jessica's sake and preyed on her fears for and of her sister, but now that the cop was marrying her sister he thought that it was time they came clean? Hell to the NO! She couldn't when she was marrying John, in part to cover his sorry ass, she was not about to let him steal everything away from her.

He wanted to play, well they'd play alright.

And she already knew who the winner would be….

**Chapter 1**

**And so it begins...**

John stood in the front vestibule of the Buchanan mansion uncomfortably, not only had he never really felt comfortable here, but he was investigating the man who owned the house and who would become his father-in-law in less than 24 hours. He knew there were better things he was supposed to be doing now, but he couldn't help but wonder why Clint Buchanan had all but ordered him here, worry about Natalie clear in his voice…

* * *

Clint closed the door of the room he had shut his daughter and her infant son away in, a rush of sadness over taking him. He knew what his actions would cost his other daughter, but damn it, this one knew too damned much about his recent misdeeds, not to mention the family secrets, that he had allowed himself to be backed into a corner by her. "Well, better her then that gold digger of Joey's," he muttered as he walked towards the stairs.

As he reached the top he took in the man standing not far from the stairs. A good man in all respects. A man who loved his daughter and their son. A man he would never have to worry about stealing from the family or whom he had ever thought the need to threaten with a shotgun when it came to his daughter, knowing, in fact that when he thought it time, he'd do the right thing.

Well, now, Clint Buchanan was going to, for once, do the right thing for his daughter. He was going to make sure that she got the man she had invested so much time and love into. Whom he knew loved her as well, but would let the same foolish pride that had sent his brother packing more than once lead him to leave what he wanted.

Given the choice this was the man his father would've chosen for a member of the family, and he had to admit he'd do the same.

Jessie, he knew, would move on to some other con artist with a heart of gold or man who just couldn't be who she wanted him to be, but this man would always be the one that Natalie would gravitate towards.

He knew what it was like to lose the love of your life and he silently promised to make sure that his daughter never felt that same pain as he took a deep breath, tugged on the bottom of his suit jacket and started down the stairs. His daughter's tear stained face as she begged for his help and smile as he gave into her and sided with her against his Jessie for once, clear in his mind as she had held the boy who would've carried his father's name had she had her wish close to her heart and muttered: "let the games began," as she sealed the deal with a kiss on her father's cheek….


	2. Poker Face

**Chapter 3  
**_Poker Face_

John looked up as Clint walked down the stairs, "John, thank you for coming so quickly," Clint said tensely as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Mr. Buchanan…" the younger man started. "Clint, please," he interrupted. "You're about to be family in a few hours. Hell, boy, by rights you should be now. Why do you think I didn't take a shotgun to you like I did Brody?"

"Couldn't possibly be because you knew that unlike Brody I'd have pulled my service revolver on you?" John challenged unphased.

Clint chuckled: "as Asa would've said, you have grit boy."

"And that's why you called me here? To tell me ' I have grit?' Well, thanks, I'll be going now," John said as he turned towards the door.

"Wait!" Clint called out. "I called you about Natalie, remember?"

John turned around at that: "and this pre-wedding chat…" he started as Kyle descended the stairs. "Mr. Buchanan, she's calmed down," he started, then stopped when he noticed John: "Detective McBain, I didn't realize you had arrived yet."

"Apparently," Clint said turning to the doctor. "How is she?"

"She has a concussion and there's some bruising," he addressed to Clint, then added: "Look, I know that she doesn't want to press charges, but I called Oliver to come over to take her statement anyway. Legally I had to, and… well, I figured it was better for her to have it on file in case he does something to her again.  
Dr. Crosby will be here within an hour.  
As for Liam, he seems unharmed by all of this. He's just upset because of the tension he's picking up from Natalie and her reaction to the… umm… incident."

"What incident?" John demanded. "How did she get a concussion and why is she here and not in a hospital?

Clint exhaled: "John, I think you need to have a talk with my daughter. She's apparently been hiding more than the fact that she was in danger from just Marty from all of us," he said as he indicated with one hand gesture that Kyle was dismissed to the living room and for John to follow him upstairs with another…

* * *

Natalie lay on her side in the bed, Liam cradled within the circle of her arms, dozing peacefully as she wished she could do the same. Only the combination of her racing and pounding mind, combined with that of her heart kept her from giving into the need to let herself drift even momentarily into oblivion.  
Staring fuzzily at her son, she tried to remind herself that she was doing the right thing.  
The only thing.  
Only it was hard to think with the concussion and her arms were starting to ache from the bruises on them.  
As she heard the door open at her back, she automatically tensed: "Natalie, its Dad. John's with me," Clint said as he lead his future son-in-law into the darkened room.

"No… I don't want him here… He'll make me tell.  
You promised if I came here I wouldn't have to tell.  
Why'd you lie?" Natalie started, her voice rising in panic the nearer the two got to the bed, causing her son to fuss.

"You have to tell him what you told me, sweetheart. It's the only way to keep you and Liam safe. Remember? We talked about this on the drive over from your apartment?" Clint prodded gently as he went to take his grandson from her.

"NO! He'll leave me. I'll lose him and then they'll take Liam from me. It'll be my fault. No one will believe me… believe what _he_ did to me."

John stared at his fiancé's body as his son's cries grew. Slowly, he lowered to his knees next to her: "remember what I said that night in the airport, Natalie? Above all others I choose you. What makes you think I would leave you- our son- ever?"

"I can't…" she responded on a broken whisper.

"Tell me," he pleaded. "Tell me so I can fix it. Protect you. Who hurt you baby?"

Natalie swallowed as she loosened her hold on Liam so Clint could take him. Quickly her father did just that and moved for the door as John took his seat on the bed and took hold of Natalie's hand, even as she stayed on her side, refusing to look at him as she started to answer his question in a broken voice: "Brody… Brody's the one who attacked me. He did it because Marty changed the tests. I know she did. She had to. She said she'd take everything away from me like she thought I did from her. That she'd ruin my life. .. I never thought she'd use our baby to do it- even when she walked out of the lodge and threatened to leave me there; when she had the knife over my stomach- I knew she wouldn't hurt the baby because he was _yours _and she saved Liam because she did know the truth and is lying to make it look like I'm the one lying. But I'm not. Liam IS your son!" she babbled.

John stared at her in confusion: "Ok. Slow down and back up. One, why would Brody attack you?"

"Because he demanded I tell you that Liam was his and I wouldn't because I know he's _not _and Marty…"

"Natalie, that's impossible- wait are you telling me that you and _Brody_?" John demanded dropping her hands, causing her to turn onto her back and stare up at him.

"It was the night you didn't show at Rodi's. I was drunk before I headed to the police station."

"I saw the empty bottle of Jack and the martini glasses when I got there…"

"Yeah, well, I went to the Angel Square Motel to tell Rox that she was apparently wrong about you and our great love. That you wanted Marty instead of me no matter what I said in that letter. Only Roxy wasn't there. So I went to see Brody to tell him goodbye before I left for London.  
He- I think he'd had a few drinks- not nearly as much as I did- but still… We started to drink together…  
Then it was like with Paul in AC… I wanted him to stop… I couldn't get him to…"

John closed his eyes against the pain he felt overwhelm him at her words. His friend and partner; the man who was supposed to have his back and he had named as godfather of his son had taken advantage of the woman he loved. "Natalie, are you saying that Brody sexually assaulted you?" he had to ask, no matter how much he hated questioning what he knew she was saying.

"They'll-he'll- say it was comfort sex.  
A drunken one night stand… I … I don't know what it was anymore… The memory's become dark and twisted with the nightmares…  
But if that's what they say Ford did to Jess… is it what Brody did to me?" she asked through tears.

John stared up at the ceiling, trying to rein in his temper: "why didn't you say something?"

"I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"We had just gotten back together…"

"Do you think I would've held that against you then?" he asked with a touch of anger.

"Like you are now?"

"Natalie…" he sighed.

"There was Jess too. She was Jess again. We couldn't risk it  
Then we both got pregnant.  
And I thought ... I even made an appointment…"

"Damnit, Natalie!"

"But I knew in my heart Liam was yours, even then. Then the dates- everything…  
Only Marty got my records.  
She was harassing me…  
Brody….  
I wanted it to stop.  
I hated him touching me- acting concerned- lying. He made me have the test.  
Marty intercepted the results.  
Stole my records.  
Changed them.  
Brody insists… He can't be… can't… I can't lose our family… not because of this… of that night…."

John reached over and wiped away her tears: "those veiled questions- what ifs. I knew you were trying to tell me something- I just didn't want to see it," he sighed: "I can't just let this go, Natalie."

"No, John. Please!"

"You don't understand. Brody doesn't get to continually harass and threaten _my _wife and or try to take _my _son."

"I'm not…"

"Only because of paperwork…" John said as his cell rang.

"John…" Natalie begged.

"It's work. I have to take it. I'm on call, remember?" he said as he answered: "McBain… what? No, she's at her father's… yeah… I'll let him know… Price, I'll take care of it…. Yeah, I'll be there in 10," he said as he ended the call.

"You're leaving me?"

"Just for a little while," John tried to reassure.

"But why?"

John sighed: "the apartment was broken into and ransacked. They have a suspect in custody. I want to make sure it's taken care of."

"But…"

"I'll be back. I'll tell your dad what happened so he can increase security so you won't be scared while I'm gone, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to sit with you and Liam till I get back."

"You're really coming back?"

"Yes, Natalie. I'm really coming back. Try and get some rest, ok?"  
"But what about tomorrow? How do we deal with tomorrow? Brody said if I didn't come clean he'd tell everyone at the wedding and I don't…"

"I'll handle Brody," John said stiffly, the image of his fist in the other man's face playing out in his head.

"But…"

"We'll have our own ceremony, ok?"

"You church?" she asked groggily.

John nodded as he slowly exhaled: "we'll talk about it when I get back, ok? Please get some rest."  
"You're not just appeasing the crazy girlfriend like you did Marty when she tried to take Liam from the hospital, are you?" she accused, forcing her eyes to focus on him.

"No. Rest. I'm coming back for you. I always do when it counts, don't I?"

"And does it count, John, really? Even knowing…"

"Even knowing that Brody assaulted you? Yes. I still choose you because what he did to you is on him and not you."

"But you're still mad at me," she all but whined.

"If I am, it's only because you didn't tell me that he hurt you sooner. That you've carried this fear and pain around by yourself for months."

"I guess I don't have to anymore," she sighed sleepily.

Kissing her forehead John sighed into her hair: "you guess right."


	3. Shuffle Up and Deal

**Chapter 3  
**_Shuffle Up and Deal_

John stalked into the precinct and over to Price: "Where is she?"

"In interrogation. Brody's with her," Price said as he put down a report he was writing, "she'd only talk to him."

"I'll just bet," John bit out.

"The boss is watching through the window. Brody'll be fine."

"Not when I'm done with him," John muttered.

"What was that?"

"Never mind. How much damage did Marty do to the place?"

Price exhaled: "pretty much all of Natalie's things- pictures, clothes, books… The crib was overturned. Liam's clothes were tossed, some cut up, same as some stuffed animals. Didn't seem like she did much damage to your things with the exception of the slot machine."

"Why am I not surprised?" John muttered as he headed towards interrogation.

"Are you sure?" Price started to call after John, only to let his voice drop off as the other man continued determinedly down the hall. "Glad I'm not in that room or close to it."

* * *

Clint walked into the bedroom cradling Liam. "Crosby and Fish should be here soon, are you sure…"

Natalie tiredly pushed herself up into a sitting position and winced slightly at the pain radiating in her skull: "didn't we already discuss this part?" she asked reaching out for her son.

"Plans have a way of backfiring," Clint cautioned.

"Don't I know it, and don't forget who's been helping to clean up your messes lately. And we both know you wouldn't be in as much trouble if I hadn't been distracted," she shot back as she took her son into her own arms.

"It's not that bad…"

Natalie raised an eyebrow at that: "I might not be on the job right now, but don't think that doesn't mean I don't know what Bo and Nora think they have on you."

"I haven't…"

Looking down at Liam, Natalie replied simply: "what you have is a good legal defense- if you'd use it."

"Natalie, I'm not having this discussion with you now of all times!"

"Then when?" she demanded turning her focus to her father. "I know what they said a few months ago, I can only imagine what they'd have to say now.  
You're getting worse.  
I'll be taken care of…"

"Your sister…"

"Is going to have to put on her big girl panties for once and deal…" Natalie shot back. "And she'll have Mom and Joey- look; you've made all the arrangements you needed to.  
Besides, you have another little girl out there who needs you."

"We agreed we weren't going to talk about _that_."

"Fine.  
But things are going to move quickly from here. They have Marty in custody. I'm sure _she _did plenty of damage at the apartment, especially to my things.  
Finding out that Brody has a tape of her stealing my medical records and never turned it in should get a warrant for at least his place.  
Crosby's report will take care of his gun and badge- no matter what I say," Natalie listed.

"And you think that that hothead you're engaged to is going to keep it together when he sees him?"

Natalie smirked: "Oh, I'm counting on him doing the opposite.  
It's long pass time Brody's face met with John's fist. And something tells me Uncle Bo won't be far behind- then again he'll probably be the one pulling John off of Brody. John will spill that Brody attacked me- hence the blood at the scene- but I'm pretty sure he'll hold back about the first attack and harassment because that's how he thinks I want it. If he does say something, Nora will of course try to get Uncle Bo to brush it aside, claiming I'm lying for some reason that won't make sense to anyone but her, only then Fish and Crosby will confirm the second attack, and Crosby will the harassment and the first.  
He has to report both, even though I'll beg him not to."

"You really think it's that simple? Manipulating lives isn't that clear cut…"

"True, but forensic psychology was one of my specialties and I'm thinking straight- well as straight as one can with a concussion- for the first time in a long time.  
I should've realized sooner that I was being set up.  
Now either Marty switched the results or that idiot Vimal you have working for you did… My money's one Marty though. Even Vimal isn't _that_ stupid.  
The truth is, I should have just waited till after Liam was born and ran the damn tests myself."

"Still, how could you be so sure?"

"Blood types.  
Brody's isn't compatible," Natalie explained simply with a radiant smile crossing her face as she looked from her father back to her son. Then raising her eyes she added with slight annoyance: "and if I were you I'd be glad that Charlie isn't smart enough to figure that one out—or doesn't know Echo's.  
And I am still pissed at you for that stunt, by the way."

"I did it for your mother."

"Riiiight. Keep telling yourself that and maybe you'll believe it.  
Then again, Charlie does make more sense. After all, Rex and David were tested and it came back as a zero match. Now how can they be cousins and have no genetic markers in common?"

Clint shook his head: "maybe Morocco wasn't the only solution to the Vickers problem after all."

"Give it time. I'll handle David- I have more than one reason to want to- when the time comes…"


	4. Fast Foward and Rewind

**Chapter 4**  
_Fast Forward and Rewind_

Bo sat in his office wiping a tired hand down his face as Nora stalked angrily in. At the sound of her shrill voice he couldn't help but wish that he still had Inez working for him to block interruptions. At the moment, he didn't need any, even in the form of his wife, as he tried to put together the pieces of information he had been trying to process since he had pulled John off of Brody; his Chief of Detectives words echoing around his head: _"he assaulted Natalie."_

"Bo are you even listening to me?" Nora demanded with a stomp of her foot as she slammed her palms against his desk to get his attention.

"Sorry, just trying to put together some thoughts on a case," he responded almost automatically.

Rolling her eyes, Nora took the seat across from him: "I talked to Marty. _She _insists that she didn't do anything and _I _believe her!"

"It looks like she escaped from St. Anne's. She was there because she tried to kidnap Liam after she already kidnapped Natalie."

"She _delievered _Liam, and she saids that it was Natalie who took her up to the cabin and not the other way around."

"And why would she do that?" Bo asked.

"Who knows what goes on in your niece's head? She's as bad as her father!"

"Nora…." Bo started to chide. "Oh, puh-lese, Bo! It's her fault that Marty is in the state that she is in in the first place!"

Bo rolled his eyes: "yes, Nora, listen to the psych patient and blame the victim!"

"If Natalie hadn't of pushed her way between Marty and John, the same way I might add that she did it John and Evangeline…"

"You did not just go there!"

"Bo, seriously…"

"Did you forget that it was _Marty _who inserted _herself_ into John and Natalie's relationship while she was treating him after the car crash to begin with? That she used him investigation of Truman's murder to make sure that she broke them up and they stayed that way?" Bo retorted as he leaned back in his seat and cut off his wife: "do I feel bad for Marty? Yes, but Natalie's not to blame for her breakdown," he added tempering his reaction at his wife's glare."She apparently never got over her miscarriage. Cole killing Eli didn't help matters…"

"And John would've covered for Cole if it wasn't for…"

"The _evidence?"_ Bo asked pointedly. "Guess it was too bad my niece actually did her job and is component at it or too bad that Marty was too stupid to shoot off the gun before she was caught with it!" he couldn't help but finish with a trace of anger for his wife siding with the blonde over his niece and her former stepdaughter- not that he was surprised. If he had to guess, it was more due to her guilt over the rape trail then any real sense of friendship that had her championing Marty.

"Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?" Nora demanded.

Bo sighed: "there's more going on here then you know."

"Like how Natalie's blood is at the scene but Marty insists that she wasn't there and that Brody grabbed her and almost assaulted her? Threatened her with some video tape?"

Coming forward in his seat Bo felt pieces falling into place: "what? Brody _assaulted _her? That's what Marty said?"

"Claiming police brutality," Nora told him smugly.

"Damnit, Nora, don't you think you should've _started _with that?"

"It makes that big a difference?" she asked confused.

"Ya think?"

"Why don't _you _fill me in, because I'm clearly missing something," Nora demanded, annoyance lacing her voice.

"Natalie wasn't at the apartment with Liam when Marty ransacked it- thank God, considering the damage she did, not to mention that Marty threatened her with a knife…"

"In what fantasy did _that one_ occur?" Nora snorted.

"At the cabin when she was delivering Liam. It's one of the bombshells John just dropped on me."

"Convient. And the blood? What did Natalie do? Cut herself shaving?"

"She's at my brother's…" Bo started.

Nora laughed at that: "and you still think this isn't a setup? You know how Clint is, Bo. What he's capable of…"

"He's not capable of attacking his own daughter. Of inducing bruising on her arms and giving her a concussion."

"So maybe whoever attacked Natalie…." Nora started, grasping at straws to get her 'friend' off of the newest charges against her.

"It was Brody."

Nora laughed again: "you're joking, right?"

"Do I look or sound like I'm joking?" Bo shot back. "I had to pull John off of him outside of interrogation.  
Couldn't figure out what would've set John off like that. Why he was telling Brody to stay away from Natalie and Liam.  
Natalie didn't want it reported."

"It it's the truth, then why…"

"Because Brody is marrying Jessica tomorrow and she doesn't want to ruin her sister's day."

"Oh, that' great. Let your sister marry a guy capable of domestic violence!" Nora interrupted, throwing her hands up in disgust.

"John said she also didn't think we'd believe her."

"Gee, I wonder why! Couldn't be because her story doesn't make any sense now could it?"

"Brody shot Rex without provocation," Bo pointed out rationally. "Now, I now it was PTSD, and he's been cleared for duty, but if Marty saids he roughed her up, even if Natalie won't press charges out of respect for her sister, I can't ignore this."

"Natalie respect Jess?" Nora laughed. "Bo, have you _met_ your niece? She clearly wants to blow Jess's world apart by the story of Brody attacking her the day before their wedding!"

"Good, you two have already heard," Crosby said from the doorway, surprising the arguing couple as he came in and closed the door behind him. "I wasn't sure how to broach the subject with you.  
Natalie knows that even though she didn't want the attacks and harassment on file that I had to report them."

Bo stared blankly at him as his words sank in: "did you say attacks? As in plural?"

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Nora muttered as the doctor took the seat next to her.

"I thought you knew," Crosby sighed. "Natalie was attacked by officer Lovett today during an argument over Liam."

"Why would he be arguing with her over Liam?" Nora asked suspiciously.

"Apparently, there was a night when they were both- he claims that he's the boy's father.  
Natalie know that her medical files were tampered with and that Brody has a videotape of Dr. Say brook doing so. He's been blackmailing her with it. One of the records compromised that night was a paternity test that Lovett forced her to take."

"See what I mean?" Nora asked Bo.

Ignoring her, Bo focused on Crosby: "You still said… when else did … when else was she attacked?" he asked the doctor directly.

"Or claims to be," Nora put in under her breathe.

"The night they slept together.  
She was drunk- well over the legal limit from what she told me she had to drink-Lovett had had a few drinks, but wasn't.  
She tried to stop it.  
He pinned her down…"

"Jesus…." Bo muttered, putting his head in his hands, trying to get a grasp on the situation and now understanding why John went after the man, and wishing he hadn't pulled him off of him.

"Oh, come on Bo! She's lying! Trying to turn other lies around just like Clint would," Nora chided.

Head popping up in anger at his wife's word's Bo glared at her: "why the hell would she lie about being sexually assaulted?"

"Because she can?"

"If she was blaming Todd you'd be all over it!" Bo shot back. "Hell, you even argued a second rape for Marty when she _**consented**_ to sleep with the man!"

"She wouldn't have…"

"If she knew what Todd had done to her, yadda, yadda, yadda. I've heard it before, Nora."

"We bring Brody in on that we should bring in Ford for sleeping with Jessica. She wasn't exactly in the frame of mind to consent. Think Inez will appreciate that?" Nora asked in retaliation.

"Think Tea will use your anger at Inez to turn that around and say _you're _being vindictive, especially since they both denied sleeping together at first and Jessica's paternity test names Brody as the father?" Bo threw back in his wife's face.

"Look, I don't want to get into the family dynamics right now, but Natalie _doesn't _want this to become common knowledge. She doesn't want to press charges," Crosby reiterated.

"Are you sure this isn't some sort of PPD Psychosis?" Nora wondered.

"I've treated Natalie on and off for years. She shows mild signs of PTSD due to her ordeals at the hands of Mitch Lawrence and from her other kidnappings. The most distressing for her was when she was held by Tess. Her two biggest fears are losing her family and her son being kidnapped like she was."

"And she almost had to face the later with Marty," Bo sighed.

"Barely. In fact, she blames herself. Saids she should've been clearer about the harassment she was receiving from Dr. Say brook," Crosby told them. " I made some quiet inquiries after Fish told me who to talk to when he was done questioning her today. There are witnesses to her being hit in the squad room by Marty on at least one occasion- after Cole's arrest."

"So Natalie verbally abused her when she was pregnant," Nora had to get in.

"And that's why she thinks she deserved it," Crosby explained. "She also didn't tell people because she didn't think- her words- they would take her side over Dr. Saybrook's, especially since so many sided with her when she accused Natalie of pushing her down those stairs."

"We had an investigation to run," Bo said slightly embarrassed.

"Noted. However, I believe the root of her fears are of her sister regressing and that's why she didn't report the original assault or continued harassment by Lovett," Crosby continued. "I think her fear of her doing something that might cause one of her sister's alters to reemerge is a major factor in all of this.  
Had she not been attacked today and threatened with further, public humiliation in front of her sister and family, as well as the loss of her son, I don't think she would've told anyone about any of this- even me."

"We're going to need to question her," Nora sighed.

""I'll have to be there- she feels like she's bee doubted or confronted and she'll more than likely shut down. As it is, I had to prescribe a mild sedative as well as an anti-anxiety medication for her to take tonight, although I doubt if she'll take the later since she's breast feeding. But if she's pushed too far, I'm sure her father and/or John will be able to talk her into taking it, otherwise I doubt she'll make it through the next few days without having to be hospitalized if Brody keeps up these sorts of actions unheeded."

"I can't just ignore this, Crosby…" Bo sighed.

"For now, put Lovett on suspension pending investigation," Crosby suggested. "Take his gun- and his back up- I haven't treated him, just did his medical clearance, but considering his history all of his weapons should be taken.  
Also get him into one of the other department therapists ASAP."

"Why not you?" Nora asked.

"Conflict of interest."

"If IAB finds enough… we can't not press charges…" Bo said simply.

"She doesn't want…"

"Its pass what Natalie wants," Bo replied tensely. "He might have also assaulted a prisoner. I have to go over and…"

Nora exhaled: " you're sure she's not making this up?"

"In my professional opinion, Natalie's coping mechanism is to protect those that she loves- and to keep her sister's personality intact because she fears the family's blame and outctism if they see her in any way connected with another split."

"We don't blame her as much as she blames herself," Bo commented.

"Speak for yourself," Nor muttered as she got to her feet.

"What was that?" her husband demanded harshly.

"Nothing," Nora snapped, turning her attention to Crosby: "how is she so certain that Lovett isn't the father?"

"Blood types- his isn't compatible. McBain's is. Someone changed her tests to cause her problems- a mind game added to the harassment by Lovett which got worse. So did the harassment by Dr. Say brook. In fact that seems to be the reason they ended up at the Cabin, which Natalie refuses to talk about in details other than Marty leaving when she went into labor and then coming back. She saids that Marty threatened to cut the baby out of her… glided a knife over her stomach laughing before putting it down, she didn't show signs of a mental break until McBain showed up," Crosby explained.  
"Look, if it was me I'd keep an eye on Dr. Saybrook. If anyone could fake a breakdown she could. In fact it sounds like she did. From Natalie's report she was coherent till John came in and Marty handed him the baby, then she suddenly started acting like the baby was theirs.  
Furthermore, she apparently faked being healthy enough to get a day pass today.  
Claimed she was going to go see her granddaughter. No one at St. Ann's checked or seemed to know that there's a restraining order against her having contact with Hope without supervision of medical personnel.  
In any case, we see how well the day pass ended up."

Bo rose to his feet and extended a hand: "thank you for your help, Doctor."

Shaking his hand, Crosby nodded: "Just remember, kid gloves. Natalie's in a very fragile state right now."

"Got it…"

* * *

Brody was pissed as he stormed into his apartment. He couldn't believe that Natalie had accused him of attacking her.

Ok, so he had made demands on her, but he had left her safe and fuming when he left her, but she was on her feet and he hadn't laid a hand on her other than to get her attention. So what the hell had gone wrong…

"_Brody stepped out of interrogation to see John storming down the hall: "she's denying what she did…" he started._

"_She's not the only one, is she?" John demanded. "How the hell can you walked in here, give a report and pretend that you didn't have a part in today's events?"_

_Brody raised an eyebrow , a look of dumb confusion crossing his face: "I have no idea…"_

_Losing his temper, John forced Brody back into a wall by taking steps into his face. "I __**know **__what you did to Natalie! She told me everything, you SOB!"_

"_It was a mistake…" Brody started, not realizing he was angering the man even more._

_Lifting his arm, John placed hi across Brody's throat as he pinned him to the wall and punched him in the gut. "What? Don't think I should give you the same treatment that you gave Ford?" he wondered as his arm applied more pressure to keep the other man upright, while cutting off his air supply. "Think you're any better?" He wondered as he planted a fist into Brody's eye. "I don't think anyone else would…" he added with another gut shot as he brought his face close to Brody's and told him in his ear: "stay away from my wife and __**our **__son," he warned starting to step away._

_Gasping for air, Brody glared at John: "I don't know what that Bitch told you, but Liam…"_

_John pounced on him getting in quick punches before Bo and Price arrived to break it up: "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?" Bo demanded._

" _He attacked Natalie is what's wrong…" John said as he pulled out of Bo's hold._

"_That's a lie!" Brody yelled as John came at him again, John grabbing him and pulling him back._

"_Both of you, get the hell out of here and cool off!" Bo ordered._

_Shaking off Price's hold, Brody stormed towards the locker room, as John continued his shouting match with Bo.  
The words attack… concussion… bruising… hysterical… reaching his ears as he stormed into the locker room…_

"What the hell lies is she telling?" Brody wondered as he looked into the mirror, seeing the bruising on his throat and the black eye. "And how the hell do I make sure that Jess believes me and not Natalie…  
No, wait, Jessica always believes the worse in Natalie… I can do this… this won't ruin Jess and me… I won't let Natalie's lies ruin us. I just have to get Jess first… tell her the _truth_.  
All of it.  
She'll forgive me, but nor Natalie's lies.  
Jess will believe me if I get to her first…"

* * *

John sat in his car staring at the Buchanan mansion trying to calm his warring emotions.  
He had to be strong for Natalie.  
Had to make her see that Brodys' sexually assaulting her- even if she didn't completely see it that way- wouldn't allow herself to since he was Jessica's fiancé and it would shatter her sister while she carried the quilt of what happened on her shoulders; didn't make him think less of her.  
Hell, he would've understood a drunken one night stand- he knew how she thought- and it- head in his hands, he laughed.  
No, he wouldn't have understood that anymore than this.  
That was the old Natalie.  
The one who was with Paul.  
This one knew better… and Liam- God how could she have not told him her fears-even with what he had said?  
She had missed his point as he had missed her hints.  
He had been a father figure to Cole.  
He hadn't minded stepping in when he was married to Blair.  
He just wanted _their _child so badly.  
Could still remember the dream of the dark haired boy and red headed girl with another on the way from his car accident.  
He had been talking in generalities.  
In being cheated on, because in his head Brody and Jessica had still been together and it hadn't been the first time that Jess had cheated and gotten knocked up. He could still remember the conversations he had had with Antonio over the chance that the baby Jess was having would be Nash's and how that would affect their new family.  
But he and Natalie hadn't even begun when she was attacked.  
And to know that she had covered for Lovett for Jess's sake.  
Hid the harassment from them…  
Feared his reaction…

Now he wondered if he'd pushed her too hard. Had she really been ok with him taking her on the pool table? The other ways… had he been too rough with her and not even known it? Added to her nightmares?

And now he knew what the ones she hid from him had really been about…  
He had failed her.

Failed her again.

Failed seeing how manipulative Marty was even as he knew all of Natalie's tricks when cornered. Had bought the blonde woman's excuse for keeping the letter from him to the eleventh hour. Wasted time making sure the break up was what _Marty _was ready for.  
Natalie would've waited for him to clear things up if only he had gotten there on time.  
If only he had called and asked her to wait for him.  
If only he had found her at the motel.

_**IF only….**_

But he had done none of that.

It was _his fault _that she'd been assaulted and he couldn't let his anger at himself roll over onto her, she was too fragile.  
But he had already broken a promise to her; one more in a line of so many broken promises he didn't even know how to keep track of them.  
He had slipped up and told Bo…

"_John, calm down. Brody wouldn't hurt…"_

"_Bullshit! She's at Clint's in near hysterics. A concussion. A wound over her eye from hitting G-d knows what when he threw her across the room- threatening her with taking Liam!"_

"_Why would he do a thing like that?"_

"_Ask him! Ask him what he did to her! How he's been harassing her! Threatening her and Liam!"_

"_The concussion…"_

"_He _attacked _my __**wife and son**__! What the hell do you expect me to do?" John demanded of his boss as he punched a wall._

"_John…"_

"_I have to get out of here… back to Natalie. She's scared, Bo. I've never seen her this scared… knowing what he did to her… that she's scared… too scared to press charges… I just can't….  
I'm supposed to protect her and Liam and I haven't.  
I let him hurt her because I was too late.  
Because I was too blind to see how afraid of him she was._

_She was hurt by Marty because of me too.  
I didn't see how bad off she was- even when I did… how the hell could I just go along with her?"_

"_You needed to get Liam and Natalie to safety," Bo tried to reason._

"_And I fed into her delusions.  
She would've taken him and left Natalie to die if I didn't show up when I did.  
She would've taken Liam from the hospital- I was barely able to talk her down then._

_Now she destroys our home.  
Natalie and Liam's things?  
How do I go back to Clint's and tell Natalie there's nothing left of her things?  
The clothes and books she won't care about- but the pictures- the things she picked out so carefully for Liam- the slot machine- they're things she will because she can't get those back!_

_Especially the pictures, Bo.  
You know how few she had growing up. How important the ones she has now are, especially the ones of her and Ben or of her and Asa. Her and all her siblings. There aren't many of any of those. Family pictures…."_

"_We'll try to get them remade or restored. Find other copies," Bo reasoned._

"_Doesn't fix what they broke inside of her.  
And that's what she is, Bo, broken.  
And this time, I don't know if she can be fixed, even by me," John admitted tiredly as he walked away defeatedly._

Shaking his head, John got tiredly out of his car. He couldn't protect them before- even broke his promise to keep the attack secret, but he'd make her feel safe again somehow.  
He'd be there for her.  
How could he not be?  
She was the love of his life.  
She'd been his savior after the car accident no matter how horribly he'd treated her, and he knew now he should've fought harder to keep her.  
Shouldn't have listened to Mike and Marci- especially once he found out about the truth about "Tommy's" paternity. Nor should he have fallen for Marty's tricks.

He should've had faith in Natalie.  
Married her then.  
This time he wouldn't walk away.

He'd give her what she wanted, starting with that wedding in his family's church. The calls to his mother and Pete had made sure that would be possible, even on extremely short notice.  
While Jessica married her dark prince tomorrow, he and Natalie would marry in Atlantic City with friends and limited family.  
He might not like all on the guest list he'd made, but they cared about Natalie and at least one would be there if he couldn't to protect her from Brody….


	5. All In

_Chapter 5_

**All In**

Natalie shifted uncomfortably between wakefulness and sleep on the bed where John had left her, as Liam slept peacefully in the port-a-crib Clint had had Nigel set up at the foot of the bed when he had received his daughter's distress call. Her head throbbed and the bruises still popping up over her body, especially her arms where she had been held in place for the various blows she had been on the receiving end of, hurt like Hell- just the way they were meant to.

In her near dreamlike state, she could remember all too vividly how she had received them….

_Clint sat on the couch in the middle of Natalie and John's apartment at the Angel Square Hotel and looked at his daughter doubtfully: "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her as he cradled his grandson in his arms while she paced the room with nervous energy._

"_**Want?"**__ she spit out on an almost hysterical laugh as she looked from her father to his two hired henchmen- both of whom where clearly not comfortable with the situation they had been called in for or the job they were about to have to perform- "Hell no! But __**need**__ to do. Now __**that's **__a different story.  
__For this whole plan to work I __**have **__to do this!  
__They have to wear gloves so that if pictures with certain cameras are taken they can't get prints off of them. Brody would know to do that.  
__It would look premeditated.  
__Like he came to talk to me and when I wasn't 'reasonable' he went with plan B, or even as a last resort on his part. That he came in- possibly uninvited- the fight was quick and he had them on because of the cold and fled.  
__They'll take it however they need to based on what he saids to try to talk his way out of an assault charge._

_But I __**have **__to be roughed up. _

_This whole scenario adds credence and reliability to my other accusations," she rationalized to her father as she ran a nervous hand through her long red hair._

"_I still want to take Asa's shotgun to him for taking advantage of you like he did," Clint remarked with icy calm at the mental image of shooting his soon to be son-in-law square in the chest. "If it wasn't for your sister and her fragile state of mind and health, I would've unleashed these two on him a long time ago."_

"_Yeah, well, unlike Jessica after her night with Ford, I had the sense to drive over to Center City where I wouldn't be recognized and got the Plan B pill and took it. I just wasn't sure it had worked," Natalie admitted distractedly. "With Liam's blood type and that idiot Vimal's ID of Marty being in the lab that night I know it definitely did."_

_Clint exhaled: "What the __**hell **__am I going to do with him? His wife knows what I paid him to do and she's helping that no good gold digging tramp your brother's gotten himself mixed up with and is intent on marrying!"_

_Natalie rolled her eyes: "one gold digging tramp at a time please, Dad," she said as she pulled her hair away from her face as if it could ward off the on coming migraine she felt growing behind her eyes. "Let the Reservoir Dogs rejects here do what they have to to me, then when you join me and John in Texas to help with Liam and protect me from Officer Lovett, you can get the medical treatment you need."_

"_Natalie…." Clint started in a warning tone._

"_You're not weaseling your way out of it __**Pa**__," Natalie retorted as she let her hands tiredly drop to her sides and came to sit on the table across from him; earning a very immature eye roll of her own for her efforts. "Kevin and I will take care of Vimal. We'll transfer him to the London office with a nice bonus and housing and a new job for the wife. Then in a month or two a routine audit will be run and he'll be out. It will seem like he was either holding the information in reserve to blackmail you or as retaliation for being fired on just causes.  
__We'll find someone who'll 'accidentally' out Aubrey and Cutter as well. In fact Kevin is working on that list as we speak. In the meantime we'll make sure that someone's around to keep Kelly busy on her back, not that she's all that picky, and away from Joey and throw a new love interest in his direction.  
__In fact we already have someone in mind.  
__In the meantime, take Liam downstairs," she ordered as she reached out and ran a gentle hand over her son's dark hair to gain some semblance of strength for what was to come, before she rose and continued to direct her father: "I don't want him- or you- around for this. Wait in the lobby and if Roxy comes in tell her I'm not feeling well and you sent a couple of guys up to help me pack up somethings for me and Liam to head over to your place. She'll buy it and won't check on me because she'll probably be half in the bag. It's Schyler's birthday.  
__And don't worry.  
__What they're going to do won't be anything worse than stuff I've been through in the past."_

"_That's just what every father wants to hear," Clint quipped as he carefully rose to his feet, trying to not wake the baby sleeping in his arms; torn between wanting to protect his daughter and knowing this was pretty much the only answer to doing so._

"_Catfights get messy," she shrugged, trying to act a lot more nonchalant than she felt at the moment. _

_Once the door closed behind her father, one of the men coughed uneasily: "you know this isn't going to be as-"_

"_Gentle as a catfight?" she asked as she turned to Mr. Black and Mr. Blue who were just standing where they had been since she had let them and her father into the apartment. "Yeah.  
__But saying that was easier than telling my father the truth.," she told them. "Look, I was raised by a drunk with a gambling problem. A couple of her exes roughed me up once or twice.  
__She found out she sent them packing.  
__I dated a guy who knocked me out because I wouldn't sleep with him.  
__Still don't know if he raped me or not while I was unconscious because I could never bring myself to getting the kit done at the time.  
_

_My Dad still doesn't know the whole story about the night with Brody._

_Let's just say it was a good thing that I could explain away most of the marks he left on me by walking into things, rough housing with Bre, or falling while teaching her to skate when John and I got back to being intimate.  
_

_Not to mention there's a brainwashed ex in there that the family never knew abused me in private even though we lived under my mother's roof.  
__So bring on whatever you have to.  
__I think I can take it.  
__Make it look as real as possible.  
__Remember he was a Navy SEAL.  
__I won't let him take my son because of Messica and he took advantage of the fact that I was drunk. That he got me drunker.  
__I __**wanted**__ him to stop and he wouldn't…  
__I was too drunk to stop…" she admitted to them. "Now I'm dealing with the fallout the best way I know how."_

_The two men looked at each other, knowing the unspoken rule that you didn't hurt women, especially in the way that Brody Lovett had hurt this one.  
__They wouldn't do to him what they had done to Ford anytime soon- and they wouldn't hurt him on Clint Buchanan's dime. But one day, when he wasn't expecting it, either they or some of their shadier associates would take care of him…_

"_Look, can we please get this over with?" Natalie asked as she looked at her watch. "You have to rough me up and then get me along with some of mine and Liam's things to my Dad's car and out of here and then you or your associates have to tear this place apart and make it look like Marty Saybrook did it while out on her 'need to know' day pass.  
__Oh, and you have to leave trace evidence of my blood somewhere. Best way, concussion or head wound.  
__Not to tell you how to do your job, but from a forensic stand point the end table or nightstand in the bedroom would make the most sense.  
__It will get them worried and have me out of it if and when I'm questioned…."_

* * *

John slipped into the darkened bedroom that held his family to see Natalie fending off an attack in her sleep. "No more," her voice was begging. "I can't…. Don't… it hurts…. Please stop…. I know what I said… stop… please… please let me go…."

John's heart broke wondering who she was begging to stop, yet knowing it was Brody. Only then his mind went to when she was begging him to stop and _what_ she was begging him to stop doing to it today's beating or the rape?

Carefully, as if she'd break, which he was afraid she would, he gently put a hand on her shoulder and shook her, calling her name with all the calm he could muster, as he reminded her that it was him there beside her and he wouldn't let anyone hurt her again.

Jumping up, wide eyed, Natalie looked around the room in confusions before falling into John's waiting arms: "They wouldn't stop hitting me. I begged and I begged…"

"They?" John wondered, confusion entering his voice as he wondered if there was even more that Natalie was keeping from him.

Swallowing back her slip, Natalie tried to slip from his hold as she looked up at him, even as he tried to pull her closer: "It started out as Brody, but he morphed into Paul- that night, in Atlantic City…" she started as a shiver ran down her spine at the memory of the attack.

Swallowing, John loosened his hold on her, feeling her need to draw into herself and away from him as she told him about the dream and wanting to be as supportive as he could: "I remember," he answered sadly as he ran a finger gently down her check, thinking of it as one more time he had failed her.

"Then it was Brody, then Mitch, then Brody, then Victor Lord- only he was over me and trying to cut my heart out- then Brody, then Tess, then Brody, then Hayes, then…." she shook her head as she exhaled sharply and collapsed onto John's chest, tears streaming unheeded down her face: " it was such a mishmash of people, but it always came back to Brody. To him and his waiting to take Liam from me. Threatening you…." she finally stopped as she buried her head in John's shoulder and all but crawled into a ball on his lap- her words made all the more powerful for it. "Why couldn't I stop him?  
Why even in the dream couldn't I stop him from hurting me and doing those things to me?  
From overpowering me?"

"What he did _to _you wasn't _your_ fault, Natalie," John said, then pulled slightly away from her: "look at me. You have to know that this _wasn't __**your **__fault."_

"But I'm trained… I should've done more to stop him," she said in a tired, defeated voice as she looked at the buttons on his shirt instead of at him.

"Did you say no? Ask him to stop?" John asked her gently, even though it broke something in him to make her think he might be doubting her story.

"Yes! You have to believe that… You have to know that I did!" she insisted as her wide eyes shot up to look at his, then embarrassed she looked away again. "I did those things, but he… he pinned me to the wall… the bed… changed positions when I tried to get away," she shook her head in self disgust. "I don't know. Maybe he was too drunk to know what I meant or I was too drunk to be clear… I tried to push him away, I did!… he just… he didn't take it like that," she answered shakily.

Tensing at each word, John knew he had to let her go, or she'd think he blamed her for what was done to her. Exhaling, he slowly untangled her body from his and got to his feet, trying to ignore the pain in her face as he did so. Pacing he ran a hand through his hair as he stalked from one side of the dimly lit room to the other. Swallowing back tears and pain, Natalie toyed with the edge of the blanket wondering if she had said too much.  
Pushed John to far.  
So far that he was disgusted by her and what had happened.  
Unable to take the silence any longer, she reached out and grabbed his hand on his next pass and looked up at him in panic: "John, what is it? What did I do- say- wrong?"

"No," he chided her, almost too harshly as he sat on the edge of the bed and used his free hand to wipe away at the tears on her cheeks, and then tipped her head so she was forced to look into eyes that were filled with main and concern as he let out what he was feeling as calmly as he could, for her sake; "It's me… Damnit Natalie, you didn't _tell _me."

"I was too ashamed to.  
Afraid of Tess coming out…" she said as she turned her head away.

"Natalie, don't you know I could never blame you for what _he _did to you?" he asked, a touch of wounded pride in his voice. Swallowing back his own feelings he forced himself to go slower, gentler: "It's me…I'm mad at myself.  
You didn't tell me and there were times …. Times not long after…. When I wasn't as gentle as I could have- should've- been with you. As gentle as you deserved even if none of that had ever happened to you," he told her honestly as scenes of their love life played out in his mind: "Natalie _I _took you against walls.  
I _pinned _you to them with _my _body,  
I took you on the pool table that first night we were back together.  
I held your hands down to the top of it and above your head and pinned you to it with _my_ body and you never….

How could you let me hurt you like that?"

Rising to her knees, Natalie felt panic racing through her: "_You_ never hurt me John!  
How could you think that our making love in anyway would hurt me? If anything it helped me to heal what he broke in me," she told him as she tried to cup his face with her hands, only for him to shy away. "Don't lie to me, Natalie. Not about _this _of all things!" he demanded from her.

Sinking back to her heals, she sighed: "how do I make you understand that I'm NOT?  
Answer me this, John, if I had asked you to stop, would you have?"

"You know the answer to that, Natalie," he replied drained.

"We both do," she replied evenly as she leaned her forehead to his and intertwined their hands together to hold onto him for dear life: "Don't you think I knew-_know-_ the difference between you and him?  
You held me, you didn't pin me down.  
Your body melded to mine like we were one person.  
You made me feel safe and loved, not violated or a- a replacement for someone who wasn't even a whole person.  
You looked in my eyes and took my breathe away while bringing me back to life by giving me your own.  
Your hands would intertwine with mine as you kissed me and I was home.  
Then, when it was over, you would wrap your arms around me and hold me close, I'd place my head on your shoulder and my hand over your heart and I was safe from everything and everyone.

When I had nightmares about Mitch coming to take our baby or Tess coming back out, _you_ were the one that made them go away.  
When I had subconscious dreams about what he did to me, you made it right.

Don't _ever_ think that what we do or did in our bedroom, or anywhere else we choose is anything like what Brody did to me!Don't take what WE share away from us- from ME- because of that night.  
I can't let him ruin us.  
I can't take it if he does.  
He can't win John- he just can't…."

Wrapping her up in his arms as her tirade ran out, John sighed into her hair: "no, he won't win… I just… I had to be sure I hadn't hurt you. I couldn't have lived with myself if I had hurt you in anyway, especially _that _way."

"But don't you see John, you could never hurt me in that way. You're too good a man to do something like that…"


End file.
